Each year, the Federal Trade Commission lists the top consumer complaints. More than half the complaints were about fraud; consumers in the United States reported losing more than $1.6 billion to fraud last year. Of the remaining categories of complaints, identity theft takes the No. 1 spot.
The Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2013 reports that the Commission received more than 2 million complaints overall. About 290,056 (14%) were related to identity theft.
The most common form of identity theft reported was government documents/benefits fraud, at 34%, followed by credit card fraud at 17%.
The study showed that a large number of identity theft complaints came from young adults in the 20 to 29 age range (20% of complaints). Additionally, it showed that Florida was the state with the most identity theft complaints per 100,000 residents.
The FTC lists these top 10 complaint categories:
- Identity Theft
- Debt Collection
- Banks and Lenders
- Imposter Scams
- Telephone and Mobile Services
- Prizes, Sweepstakes, and Lotteries
- Auto Related Complaints
- Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales
- Television and Electronic Media
- Advance Payment for Credit Services
If you want to learn more about identity theft, the FTC has several resources on its website. Resources include Signs of Identity Theft, Immediate Steps to Repair Identity Theft, and How to Keep Your Personal Information Secure.